Classic and Contemporary Poetry
FOR ADVENT, by CHRISTINA GEORGINA ROSSETTI Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Sweet sweet sound of distant waters Last Line: Rise at the last trumpet call. Alternate Author Name(s): Alleyne, Ellen; Rossetti, Christina Subject(s): Death; Earth; Grief; Dead, The; World; Sorrow; Sadness | ||||||||
Sweet sweet sound of distant waters falling On a parched and thirsty plain; Sweet sweet song of soaring skylark, calling On the sun to shine again; Perfume of the rose, only the fresher For past fertilizing rain; Pearls amid the sea, a hidden treasure For some daring hand to gain; -- Better, dearer than all these Is the earth beneath the trees: Of a much more priceless worth Is the old, brown, common earth. Little snow-white lamb piteously bleating For thy mother far away; Saddest, sweetest nightingale retreating With thy sorrow from the day; Weary fawn whom night has overtaken, From the herd gone quite astray; Dove whose nest was rifled and forsaken In the budding month of May; -- Roost upon the leafy trees; Lie on earth and take your ease: Death is better far than birth, You shall turn again to earth. Listen to the never pausing murmur Of the waves that fret the shore: See the ancient pine that stands the firmer For the storm-shock that it bore; And the moon her silver chalice filling With light from the great sun's store; And the stars which deck our temple's ceiling As the flowers deck its floor; Look and hearken while you may, For these things shall pass away: All these things shall fail and cease; Let us wait the end in peace. Let us wait the end in peace; for truly That shall cease which was before: Let us see our lamps are lighted, duly Fed with oil, nor wanting more: Let us pray while yet the Lord will hear us, For the time is almost o'er; Yea, the end of all is very near us; Yea, the Judge is at the door. Let us pray now while we may; It will be too late to pray When the quick and dead shall all Rise at the last trumpet call. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SONOMA FIRE by JANE HIRSHFIELD AS THE SPARKS FLY UPWARDS by JOHN HOLLANDER WHAT GREAT GRIEF HAS MADE THE EMPRESS MUTE by JUNE JORDAN CHAMBER MUSIC: 19 by JAMES JOYCE DIRGE AT THE END OF THE WOODS by LEONIE ADAMS IT IS FINISHED' by CHRISTINA GEORGINA ROSSETTI ITALIA, IO TI SALUTO!' by CHRISTINA GEORGINA ROSSETTI THE HEART KNOWETH ITS OWN BITTERNESS' (2) by CHRISTINA GEORGINA ROSSETTI |
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